Epson DLQ-3500 User Manual

Buttons and Lights

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

1 Font button

Selects one of the available fonts.

Font lights

Indicate which font is selected.

2 Reset

When you press both the Font and
Pitch buttons simultaneously, the
printer clears buffer and returns to its
default settings.

Font Pitch Paper Source Pause

10 cpi
12 cpi
15 cpi
17 cpi
20 cpi
PS

Tear Off
/

Special Paper

Tear Off
Envelope
Card

Tractor
Manual/CSF

3sec

LF/FFReset Load/Eject

4 Tear Off/Special Paper button

❏ Feeds continuous paper forward

❏ Feeds continuous paper

❏ Selects special paper (envelope

Tear Off/Special Paper lights

Paper Out

Micro Adjust

to the tear-off position.

backward from the tear-off
position to the top-of-form
position.

or card) as the paper type.

3 Pitch button

Selects one of the pitch settings.

Pitch lights

Indicate which pitch is selected.

❏ Flash when continuous paper is

in the tear-off position.

❏ Only the right one is on when

envelope is selected as the paper
type.

❏ Only the left one is on when card

is selected as the paper type.

Buttons and Lights (1/2)

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

5 Paper Source button

Selects a paper source.

Tractor light

On when continuous paper is
selected.

Manual/CSF light

On when single-sheet is selected.

6 LF/FF button

❏ Feeds paper line by line when

pressed shortly.

❏ Ejects a single sheet or advances

continuous paper to the next
top-of-form position when held
down for a few seconds.

7 Load/Eject button

9 Paper out light

❏ On when no paper is loaded in

the selected paper source or
paper is not loaded correctly.

❏ Flashes when paper has not been

fully ejected or a paper jam has
occurred.

10 Pause button

❏ Stops printing temporarily, and

resumes printing when pressed
again.

❏ When held down for three

seconds, enters the Micro Adjust
mode. When pressed again, exits
the Micro Adjust mode.

Pause light

❏ On when the printer is paused.

❏ Loads a single sheet of paper.

❏ Ejects a single sheet of paper if a

sheet is loaded.

❏ Loads continuous paper from

the standby position.

❏ Feeds continuous paper

backward to the standby
position if a sheet is loaded.

8 Micro Adjust

When you hold down the Pause
button for three seconds, the printer
enters the Micro Adjust mode. In this
mode, you can adjust the top-of-form
and tear-off positions by pressing the
LF/FF D and Load/Eject U buttons.
See “Micro Adjust Function.”

❏ Flashes when the printer is in the

Micro Adjust mode.

Buttons and Lights (2/2)

Default Settings

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

Understanding default settings

This section describes the settings and
options available in the default-setting
mode. These settings are shown in the
following table and explained in detail after
the table.

Default-setting mode

Setting Options

Page length for tractor Length in inches: 3, 3.5, 4,

Skip over perforation Off, On

Auto tear-off Off, On

Auto line feed Off, On

Print direction Bi-D, Uni-D, Auto

Software ESC/P2, IBM PPDS

0 slash 0, (the zero character

High speed draft Off, On

I/F (interface) mode Auto, Parallel, USB,

Auto I/F (interface)
wait time

Parallel I/F bidirectional
mode

Packet mode Auto, Off

Auto CR (carriage
return)*

5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 11, 70/6,
12, 14, 17

/

0

with a slash)

Option

10 seconds, 30 seconds

Off, On

Off, On

Setting Options

Character table Standard model: italic,

International
character set for italic
table**

Font OCR-B, Orator, Orator-S,

Manual feed wait time 0.5 second, 1 second, 1.5

Buzzer Off, On

Overlapping Forms Off, On

* This setting is available only in IBM PPDS emulation

mode.

** The options available for this setting vary

depending on the country.

PC437, PC850, PC860,
PC863, PC865, PC861,
BRASCII, Abicomp,
Roman8, ISO Latin 1,
PC858, ISO 8859-15

All other models: Italic,
PC437, PC850,
PC437 Greek, PC853,
PC855, PC852, PC857,
PC864, PC866, PC869,
MAZOWIA, Code MJK,
ISO 8859-7, ISO Latin 1T,
Bulgaria, PC 774, Estonia,
ISO 8859-2, PC 866 LAT.,
PC 866UKR, PC APTEC,
PC708, PC720, PCAR 864,
PC860, PC865, PC861,
PC863, BRASCII,
Abicomp, Roman8,
ISO Latin 1, PC858,
ISO8859-15, PC 771

Italic U.S.A., Italic France,
Italic Germany, Italic U.K.,
Italic Denmark 1, Italic
Sweden, Italic Italy, Italic
Spain 1

Script C, Roman T, Sans
Serif H

seconds, 2 seconds

A.G.M* Off, On

Default Settings (1/4)

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

Page length for tractor

This setting allows you to set the page length
(in inches) for the continuous paper loaded
on the tractor.

Skip over perforation

This feature is available only when
continuous paper is selected as the paper
source. When you turn on this feature, the
printer provides a one-inch (25.4 mm)
margin between the last line printed on one
page and the first line printed on the next
page. Because most application program
margin settings override margin settings
from the control panel, you should use this
setting only if you cannot set your top and
bottom margins using your application.

Auto tear-off

When auto tear-off is on and you are using
continuous paper with the tractor, the
printer automatically advances the paper
perforation to the tear-off position, where
you can easily tear off the printed page(s).
When the printer receives data again, it
automatically moves the paper back to the
top-of-form position and starts printing, so
you can use all of the next page.

When auto tear-off is off and you are using
continuous paper with the tractor, you need
to move the perforation to the tear-off
position manually by pressing the Tear
Off/Special Paper button. See “Using the
tear-off function” for more information.

Auto line feed

When auto line feed is on, the printer
accompanies each carriage return (CR) code
received with a line feed (LF) code.

Print direction

You can select auto print direction,
bidirectional printing (Bi-D), or
unidirectional printing (Uni-D). Printing is
normally bidirectional; however,
unidirectional printing allows for precise
vertical printing alignment.

Software

When you select ESC/P2, the printer
operates in the EPSON ESC/P2 mode. When
you select IBM PPDS, the printer emulates an
IBM printer.

0 slash

Select the zero character with a slash
(this feature is on) or without a slash (0) (this
feature is off). The slash allows you to easily
distinguish between the uppercase letter
“O” and a zero.

High speed draft

When high speed draft is on, the printer
prints up to 550 cps (characters per second)
at 10 cpi (characters per inch). When it is off,
the printer prints 495 cps at 10 cpi.

I/F (interface) mode

The printer provides a slot for an optional
interface in addition to its built-in parallel
interface and USB interface. You can choose
Auto (automatic), Parallel, USB or Option
for the interface mode. When you select
Auto, the printer automatically selects the
interface that is receiving data, and uses that
interface until the end of the print job. The
Auto setting allows you to share the printer
among multiple computers without
changing the interface mode.

()

/

0

If only one computer is connected to the
printer, you can select Parallel, USB or
Option, depending on which interface your
computer uses.

Default Settings (2/4)

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

Auto I/F (interface) wait time

When the printer is in the auto interface
mode and it receives no data from the
currently selected interface for the amount
of time specified with this setting, it
determines which interface is receiving data
and switches to that interface. You can
specify either 10 seconds or 30 seconds for
the auto interface wait time.

Parallel I/F bidirectional mode

The Parallel Interface bidirectional transfer
mode is used when this feature is on. If
bidirectional transfer mode is unnecessary,
turn this off.

Packet mode

Be sure to select Auto when printing from
Windows applications using the printer
driver included in the CD-ROM that comes
with the printer. In case you encounter any
communication troubles when printing
from applications based on other operating
systems such as DOS, turn off this mode.

The A.G.M. feature is available only in IBM
PPDS emulation mode.

Character table

You can select from among 13 to 36 standard
character tables, depending on the country
of purchase. See “Default-setting mode” for
more information.

International character set for italic table

You can select among several international
character sets for the italic character table.
Each character set contains eight characters
that vary depending on the country or
language, so you can customize the italic
table to suit your printing needs.

Font

One of these fonts selected in the default
setting is corresponding to Others on the
control panel. You can select the following
fonts directly on the control panel: Draft,
Roman, Sans Serif, Courier, Prestige and
Script.

Auto CR (carriage return)

This setting is available only in IBM PPDS
emulation mode. When auto carriage return
is on, each line feed (LF) code or ESC J code
is accompanied by a carriage return (CR)
code so the printer moves the next printing
position to the left margin. When this setting
is off, you must send a CR code after the line
feed code to move the printing position to
the left margin.

A.G.M. (IBM)

Turn on the alternate graphic mode (A.G.M.)
to make the ESC 3, ESC A, ESC J, ESC K, ESC
L, ESC Y, ESC Z, and ESC * commands in
IBM PPDS emulation mode work the same
way as in ESC/P 2 mode.

Manual feed wait time

This setting allows you to set the amount of
wait time between when paper is inserted
into the paper guide and it is fed. If the paper
feeds before you can adjust its position
properly, you should increase the wait time.

Buzzer (beeper)

The printer beeps when an error occurs. See
“Error Indicators” for more information on
printer errors. If you do not want the printer
to beep when an error occurs, turn off this
setting.

Default Settings (3/4)

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

Overlapping forms

This setting takes effect only when the
skip-over-perforation setting is on. When
overlapping-forms setting is on, the printer
lifts up the print head each time it makes a
one-inch margin with the
skip-over-perforation feature. You need to
turn on both the overlapping-forms and the
skip-over-perforation settings when you use
overlapping forms.

Changing default settings

Note:

❏ To print the language selection and

default-setting mode instructions, you need
three sheets of A4 or letter size single-sheet
paper or three pages of continuous paper that
is at least 279 mm (11 inches) long and 210
mm (8.3 inches) wide. See “Continuous
Paper” and “Single Sheets with the Paper
Guide” for instructions on loading
continuous paper and single sheets.

❏ If you use single sheets, you need to load a

new sheet of paper each time the printer ejects
a printed sheet from the paper guide.

1. Make sure paper is loaded and the
printer is turned off.

3. Press the Font button until the Font and
Pitch lights indicate the language you
want, as described in the language
selection instructions.

4. Press the Tear Off/Special Paper
button to print the default-setting mode
instructions (two pages) in the language
you selected.

The printed instructions list the settings
you can change, describe how to change
them, and show you how the control
panel lights help you make settings. Use
these instructions to change the printer’s
default settings from the control panel.

Note:

The arrows in the instructions indicate the
printer’s current settings.

5. When you finish making settings, turn
off the printer and exit the
default-setting mode.

Note:

You may exit the default-setting mode by
turning off the printer at any time. Any
settings you have made remain in effect until
you change them again.

Caution:

c

2. Turn on the printer while holding down

the Font button.

The printer enters the default-setting
mode and prints the language selection
instructions (one page).

Whenever you turn off the printer,
wait at least five seconds before
turning it back on; otherwise, you
may damage the printer.

Default Settings (4/4)

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

Error Indicators

You can identify many common printer problems using the lights on the control panel. If your printer
stops working and one or more control panel lights are on or flashing or the printer beeps, use the
following table to diagnose and fix the problem.

State of
panel lights

n Paper Out
n Pause

f Paper Out
n Pause

o Paper Out
n Pause

f Paper Out
f Pause
ff Tear Off/

Special Paper

fff Font
fff Pitch

o Paper Out
f Pause

Beep
pattern

••• No paper is loaded in the selected paper source.

••• Paper is not loaded correctly.

••• Paper is jammed in the printer.

••• Paper is not fully ejected.

••• The paper source is not selected correctly on the control panel.

••• The printer cover is open.

••••• An unknown printer error has occurred.

– The print head is overheated.

Problem

Solution

Load paper in the selected paper source; the Paper Out and Pause lights go off and the
printer resumes printing.

Remove and reload your paper correctly, then press the Pause button.
See “Continuous Paper,” “Single Sheets with the Paper Guide” or “Special Papers” for
paper-loading instructions.

To clear the paper jam, see “Clearing a Paper Jam” in the Reference Guide.

Press the Load/Eject button to eject the sheet.

Select the proper paper source Then press the Pause button.

Close the printer cover and press the Pause button.

Turn off the printer and leave it off for several minutes; then turn it on again.
If the error recurs, contact your dealer.

Wait for a few minutes; the printer resumes printing automatically once the print head
cools.

n = on, o = off, f = flashing

••• = short series of beeps (three beeps), ••••• = long series of beeps (five beeps)

Note:

The printer beeps once if you press a control panel button when the corresponding function is not available.

Error Indicators (1/1)

Paper-Thickness Settings

-1

1

0

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

AUTO

Usually, set the paper-thickness lever to the
AUTO position as shown below; your printer
automatically adjusts itself to the thickness
of the paper loaded in the printer.

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

Paper type Paper-thickness

Ordinary paper (single sheets or
continuous paper)

Multipart forms (carbonless)

lever position

-1 to 1

If you are not content with the printing
quality, especially when using special paper
such as multipart forms, you can manually
set the paper-thickness lever to the
appropriate position.

The higher the number you set the
paper-thickness lever to, the wider the space
between the platen and print head. If your
printout appears faint or characters seem
skipped or missing, this setting may be too
high. On the other hand, if the setting is too
low, your printout may appear smudged,
the paper may not feed correctly, or the
ribbon may become damaged.

The following table provides guidelines for
selecting the appropriate lever position for
the type of paper you are using.

2 parts (original + 1 copy)

3 parts (original + 2 copies)

4 parts (original + 3 copies)

5 parts (original + 4 copies)

6 parts (original + 5 copies)

7 parts (original + 6 copies)

8 parts (original + 7 copies)

Labels 2 or 3

Envelopes 2 to 7

Postcards 2

Continuous forms with labels Auto

Overlapping multipart forms Auto

Overlapping multipart forms with
labels

0 or 1

1 or 2

2 to 4

3 to 5

4 to 6

5 to 8

6 to 9

Auto

Caution:

c

Do not set the paper-thickness lever to
AUTO when using labels whose backing
sheet is exposed. Set it to the appropriate
position according to the table above.

Note:

❏ When Overlapping Forms is turned on in

the default-setting mode, the printer
automatically operates on AUTO function
even though the paper-thickness lever may be
set to another position.

Auto

Paper-Thickness Settings (1/2)

❏ It is recommended to set the paper-thickness

lever to AUTO when printing on multipart
forms, because the total thickness of
multipart forms may vary depending on the
kind of paper even if the number of parts is
the same. However, if your printout appears
faint, set the paper-thickness lever to a lower
position within the range specified in the
table above. Similarly, if your printout
appears smudged, set the lever to a higher
position.

❏ If your printout appears faint or characters

seem skipped or missing, this setting may be
too high. On the other hand, if the setting is
too low, your printout may appear smudged

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

Paper-Thickness Settings (2/2)

Continuous Paper

Paper Source Paus

3se

M

LF/F

ff

f

e

Manual/CSF

Tractor

EPSON DLQ-3500 Quick Guide

Positioning the continuous paper supply

When you load continuous paper, make sure
to line up the paper supply with the tractor
so the paper feeds smoothly into the printer
as shown below.

Loading continuous paper

1. Make sure that Tractor is selected as the
paper source on the control panel. If not,
select it by pressing the Paper Source
button.

2. Slide the edge guide all the way to the
left.

3. Facing the back of the printer, release the
sprocket lock levers by pushing them up.

* sprocket lock lever

Continuous Paper (1/4)